Why your people are still your biggest competitive advantage in the age of AI
I started this series by talking about companies that are letting people go and replacing their whole jobs with AI. I’d like to end with this thought…
You don’t need to replace your people. You need to equip them.
AI is changing everything – how we work, what we value, and who thrives. But the real differentiator in 2025 isn’t how advanced your tech stack is. It’s how ready your people are to use it.
And right now? Most aren’t.
🧠 The Skills Gap Has Moved – From Digital to AI Fluency
For the last decade, businesses have focused on digital literacy. But that bar has moved.
The new frontier isn’t just knowing how to use tech – it’s knowing when to use AI, how to use it well, and how to keep the human in the loop.
That’s what AI fluency looks like:
- Understanding the role AI should play (and shouldn’t)
- Knowing how to ask the right questions
- Interpreting outputs with critical thinking
- Integrating AI into workflows without outsourcing your judgment
This isn’t just technical literacy – it’s contextual intelligence, ethical awareness, and leadership capability.
📊 What the Data Says
- According to Salesforce, 91% of small and medium-sized businesses using AI report increased revenue – and 86% say it improves profit margins. They’re seeing real results in both performance and growth.
- Many businesses embracing embedded and everyday AI tools are achieving quick returns – with studies showing teams are generating an average return of $3.70 for every $1 spent by using generative AI to accelerate content, coding, and admin work.
- High-growth small businesses are doubling down – 78% plan to increase their AI investment, compared to just 55% of those in decline.
⚙️ Productivity in Action: GitHub Copilot and the Power of Everyday AI
In a controlled study, developers using GitHub Copilot completed coding tasks nearly 56% faster than those working without it. Not because the tool wrote perfect code – but because it sped up the thinking, reduced friction, and helped them focus on higher-order problem solving.
That’s what Everyday AI does when it’s implemented well: it enhances human capacity without replacing human thinking.
⚒️ The Tools Are Ready – Are Your People?
Most teams already have access to AI – through Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Adobe, Canva, and other platforms they use every day.
But if your people:
- Don’t know what those AI tools do
- Don’t trust the output
- Don’t feel safe experimenting
- Don’t believe they’re “tech savvy enough”…then none of that technology matters.
AI only creates value when people have the skills – and the confidence – to use it well.
💡 What Good Looks Like
The most successful companies treat AI as a team sport. They:
- Make AI part of onboarding and professional development
- Encourage safe-to-fail experimentation
- Build internal “AI Champions” networks across departments
- Spotlight small wins that spark momentum
- Normalize tool-sharing, prompt-swapping, and creative use cases
They don’t just train the data team. They train everyone.
🛠️ This Is Where Everyday AI Comes In
Your team doesn’t need to be AI engineers. They just need to become power users of the tools they already have.
That’s where Everyday AI shines:
- Writing smarter, faster reports with ChatGPT
- Developing deep research insights with Perplexity
- Using Copilot to write and summarize communications
- Auto-generating slides or creative assets in Canva, PowerPoint, or Adobe
- Handling day to day tasks with one of the LLM’s Agent function
These aren’t dramatic use cases – they’re the everyday wins that drive performance, clarity, and engagement.
🧭 What This Really Means for Leaders
If you’re serious about AI, stop asking:
- “What platform should we buy?”
And start asking:
- “What knowledge do our people need to be world class with the tools we already have?”
Because here’s the truth:
AI doesn’t eliminate the need for talent – it amplifies the people ready to evolve (and exposes those who aren’t)
💬 Final Thought
The best AI strategy isn’t built on code. It’s built on confidence.
The smartest thing you can do in the age of AI?
Invest in your people first.
👇 Over to You
How are you preparing your team to work confidently with AI?
Is your organization building an AI-ready workforce – or still stuck in the AI-only mindset?
Let’s trade ideas below.
🚀 Ready to Go Deeper?
If you’re serious about equipping your team for the future of work, let’s talk about running a Deep Dive AI Literacy Lab in-house.
⚡ Hands-on demos
⚡ Real-world use cases
⚡ Department-specific applications
⚡ Zero jargon – high impact
⚡ Built for professionals who don’t want to feel left behind
📩 Message me directly to learn more or to book a call.
